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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. court — of law
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stock — goods
  6. court — of a king
  7. club — a group
  8. spell — magic
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. charge — electricity
  12. spell — letters
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. stock — shares
  17. court — for sport
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. club — for dancing
  21. club — for golf
  22. charge — in control
  23. charge — a price
  24. stock — a soup base

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com